Look Before You Leap
by Emmeline Bondurant
Summary: Realizations can be harsh sometimes.


The man standing at the end of the bridge leading onto the Hogwarts grounds stood restlessly swaying from side to side. A thin pink scarf coiled around his neck, stopping the chill of the night air from reaching his bare skin. He picked at one of the many loose threads on his patched trousers, wishing that he had worn an extra layer of clothing. It was one of those nights that, without protection from the elements, would give you a nasty bought of flu.

When he had left the house that night, leaving his wife sleeping peacefully with their newborn son on her breast, he had not thought to grab his thicker coat. If she had been awake upon his leaving, she would have reminded him. The thought brought a smirk to his crooked mouth and he rubbed his hands together anxiously. A loud rumble echoed through the night air followed by a bright blinding light as the barrier around the bridge, crackled and faded.

Very carefully and slowly, gripping his wand tightly in one hand, Scabior eyed the scrawny twig of a boy on the bridge with a viciously satisfied gaze. As his left boot touched the ground that several other of his comrades had been eviscerated on before, he let a devilish smirk bleed through his grin. He shouted loudly at the boy, startling him into motion, as he charged forward. Laughing wickedly he threw hex after hex at the boy, nothing enough to kill but plenty to maim.

Behind them there was a loud boom that rang painfully in his ears and reverberated through his innards. A short burst of nausea shot through him and a thin sheen of sweat crossed his brow. From his right he heard Fenrir howl in agony and he knew that the volume had damaged his over-sensitive ears. At the loud crack from behind them, Scabior quickly glanced over his shoulder as he felt the bridge beneath his feet lurch.

Fear gripped him as the bridge began collapsing behind them, having had it's supports blown to bits. The nausea increased as his stomach churned and he desperately tried to hasten his speed. No longer were they firing spells at the boy, but vainly trying to make it to the other side before being swept down into the misty canyon below. Suddenly, all of this wasn't that funny anymore; he had left his wife and new born son at home.

With a sharp groaning snap, Scabior let out a yell as the solid wood beneath his feet gave out and he was falling. There was no hesitation in his movements as he gripped his wand with a shouted spell and he felt himself constrict through a tube. He grunted painfully when he was released from the apparition and he fell a short distance before his decent ended sharply. His hip hit first, just barely on the edge of the couch, forcing his upper body to drop; hitting his head on the coffee table along the way.

As he carefully rolled every muscle in his body, the shock of what had happened wore off quickly as his stomach twisted with a vengeance. His stomach heaved and he was sick all over the carpet. Only having time to just turn his head, the vile substance covered the side of his face and matted his hair. In a moment of relief, he attempted to right himself from his nearly upside down state. He only managed to turn over onto his knees before another wave hit him.

Scabior spat out what he hoped was the last of his stomach contents as he rested against the edge of the couch. He didn't dare look to see just how extensive the mess was, simply willing it from his mind as he caught his breath. As he lay there, eyes drooping as exhaustion lulled him down, a gasp came from the stairs. Soft footfalls rushed over quickly and Scabior found himself looking up into his wife's eyes.

Without a word, she took her wand to casting a spell that cleaned up the floor and couch before gently helping her husband to stand. Together, while Scabior used her as a support, they made their way around the furniture and up the stairs as slow as they needed to. There were several moments when he had to stop, for his head would reel and his stomach would quake, but eventually they made it into the bathroom.

She twisted on the taps above the tub and she helped to remove his clothing, throwing the pieces into the dirty bin as she went. Once everything was removed and his boots set aside, he allowed her to help him sink into the bath. He couldn't help the amused smirk when he noticed that she had added some of the bubbles they had purchased for their son.

For a moment, she rummaged about in the cabinet above the sink before pulling out a vial of pearl colored potion. Scabior immediately recognized the vial and gratefully gulped it down. His body seemed to melt as his stomach was instantly settled. Leaning back tiredly, he sighed as his wife went about cleaning him up. She spent extra time on his hair, rubbing gently along his scalp.

The next thing that he knew, Scabior was being settled into his side of their bed. Realizing that he must have drifted off in the tub, he turned over easily beckoning his wife to join him. He watched as she lifted their son out of his bassinet and carefully slipped into the bed beside him. Once he had his arms wrapped around them, he settled down. Brushing his lips across his wife's cheek and then their sons, he smiled. He thanked everything that he was home with his family as he drifted off.

::

Happy Birthday Dragon!

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!


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